Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-03-28
Romance Of the Mines.

'|This Is indeed peculiar world,
said mining expert ut the Planters
House yesterday. Here ! pick up the
papers and read Of Mrs. Mackay's DO
ings in Paris-how she receives the
scions of royalty. how she entertains,
how she appears at the opera. how she
dresses, and how she does j thousand
other things; and then ! can scarcely
conceive that eighteen years ago she
kept clearinghouse in Virginia City
and that | was one of her boarders.
Yet it is true, and | often ponder over
1t. She was young widow then,
with an interesting child who has
since matured into young lady and
was recently married TO an Italian
Prince Of some kind. That little girl
has often sat on my knee with little
tin can in her hand which contained
the contributions of her admirers. In
those days we lived principally on cam
ned food, and Mrs. Mackay's back
yard was paved with tin cans. The
child had selected a very pretty can,
which one of the boarders transformed
into little bank. This was partly
filed with coin, the result of tribute
which she levied on her friends. She
would climb on the boarders' knees,
and, shaking her little bank, would
say: is you lucky to-day?' This
query had the desired effect, and the
bank receipts were increased. Even
in her days of distress Mrs. Mackay
was a good woman. She personally
superintendent affairs and made her
boarders as comfortable as possible. l
was then a superintendent under Fair,
and Mackay was already millionaire.
Mining stock was the rage then and l
remember often how she would come
to me and some of the other boarders
| and ask our advice about certain stocks,
and am happy to say that the advice
| gave her was good, and if | had
taken it myself | would now be So
10000 or S6,000,000 better off than
am.
Then Mackay took shine to the
widow, and being reputed one of the
wealthiest men in the camp he found
smooth sailing. He couldn't win on
his shape nor his beauty, for everybody
who has seen Mackay knows that he
wouldn't take prize in a congress of
beauty. They were married, and the
little girl no longer sat on miners
knees, and mammals delicate hand
no longer placed cornbeef and cabbage
on miners plates. They rose faster
than Sheridan stock did last summer,
the only difference being that their rise
was backed by hard coin. The great
Comstock lode continued to pour forth
its riches and Mackay and his partner
became immensely wealthy Although
reared in poor circumstances, Mrs
Mackay showed her good sense by Sc
curing private tutor, by whom she
was drilled and educated for five years.
The little daughter was put through
the same course and fitted to shine in
the most cultured society of the Old
| World. Then came the conquests in
New York, San Francisco, and finally
the trips to Europe. A year ago | was
| in Paris and one evening attended u
performance at the Grand Opera House.
It'was the first night, and prominent
in private box were two ladies be-
decked with diamonds and festooned
with flowers. They were the cynosure
of all eyes and, leveling my glasses,
discovered behind the silks, flowers,
and diamonds the face of my former
landlady in Virginia City. The out
lines were the same, but time had
wrought its changes. The young lady
with her was the little girl who used
to play on my knee. She had grown
out of my recollection. As | stood
looking ut them midst the flashing
lights, the incense Of flowers, and the
delicious music, could not help re-
calling something of
Some one who breasted high water,
! Swan the North koi and all that,
| just to dance with cit fGilansbee's daughter
The lily or Poverty Fiat"
st LOUIS RepubtacaR.
zEcszERz57zzEEz7ExsRraszcs1s